Designing for Hocking Hills and Wellness Spaces

Award-Winning Architecture in Ohio

Two distinct architectural projects showcase the range of design challenges and opportunities in Ohio – and both were recognized in the 2025 AIA Ohio People’s Choice Awards: The Cliffs earned second place and BeAligned Health earned third place. The Cliffs, an unbuilt residential concept for Hocking Hills, demonstrates how modern architecture can integrate with dramatic natural terrain. BeAligned Health, a completed commercial renovation in Powell, illustrates how thoughtful design transforms business outcomes through enhanced client experiences.

The Cliffs: Engineering Meets Nature

Cantilevered Design in Hocking Hills

The Cliffs project represents an ambitious residential design nestled in the heart of Hocking Hills. With approximately 100 feet of elevation change on the property, the design cantilevers out over a valley, with two-thirds of the structure extending beyond the hillside. The home features a U-shaped interior courtyard that opens to the valley, creating a private outdoor space that seamlessly connects with nature. The engineering includes a reverse pyramid steel structure with minimal ground contact points, creating the illusion of floating above the landscape.

Modern Aesthetic in Natural Settings

Unlike typical Ohio cabins, this design embraces a modern aesthetic with carefully proportioned sloping rooflines and strategic overhangs for energy efficiency. The front presents as an unassuming single-story ranch, while the interior reveals dramatic spaces extending over the valley. Dark structural elements and rain screen cladding help the building blend with shadows and forest surroundings, while floor-to-ceiling glass connects occupants with the tree canopy rather than the forest floor. Read the 2025 awards recognition.

BeAligned Health: Transforming Wellness Spaces

From Office Space to Healing Environment

BeAligned Health’s new 4,000 square foot space doubles their previous location’s capacity while creating an environment focused on client wellness. The complete gut renovation transformed two separate office spaces into a unified healing environment. Custom features include eight-foot sliding doors on quiet track systems, warm-toned layered lighting, and innovative storage solutions with illuminated rolling shelves. The space incorporates chromotherapy principles and natural materials including live edge finishes and living plants.

Supporting the Client Experience

The design collaboration between Arcfluence, Ron Scott Design Build, and the owners produced an open, inviting environment with better circulation and enhanced client comfort. The holistic design approach considered every detail from door heights to furniture selection, creating a cohesive environment that supports both practitioner workflow and patient experience. Read the 2025 awards recognition.

Design Philosophy and Collaboration

Client-Centered Process

Both projects demonstrate the importance of deep client collaboration. The Cliffs evolved through extensive input from the owners, balancing desires for both a personal residence and marketable rental property. BeAligned’s design process included hands-on programming exercises using construction paper cutouts to determine optimal space planning. This collaborative approach ensures that final designs meet both functional requirements and aspirational goals.

Ohio’s Architectural Potential

These projects challenge preconceptions about Ohio architecture. Hocking Hills offers elevation changes and natural beauty comparable to national parks, providing opportunities for dramatic architectural interventions. Commercial spaces in suburban Columbus can rival coastal metropolitan designs when approached with creativity and attention to detail. Both projects demonstrate that exceptional architecture emerges from understanding and responding to unique site conditions and client needs, regardless of geographic location.

Arcfluence Earns Second and Third Place in AIA Ohio People’s Choice Awards

We’re thrilled to announce that The Cliffs earned second place and BeAligned Health earned third place in the 2025 AIA Ohio People’s Choice Awards. Thank you to everyone who voted and supported our projects. Your enthusiasm and engagement made this recognition possible.

The Cliffs and BeAligned Health both received incredible support from the community, showcasing the appreciation for thoughtful, innovative design in Ohio architecture.

Learn More

For a deeper dive into the BeAligned Health project, listen to our March 16th episode: “Ron Scott Design Build: Holistic Design and Chromotherapy in Action” where we discuss this project in detail with contractor Ron Scott of Ron Scott Design Build.

Project Credits:
BeAligned Health - Partnership with Ron Scott Design Build
The Cliffs - Conceptual design by Arcfluence with lead architect Nino